Welcome to the Library

The Friends Library

Enjoy our comprehensive collection of horticultural titles

With over 4500 titles on our shelves, our library has one of the largest selections of horticultural books in the country.

Our library is run by a group of passionate volunteers, and is open to the public 11am-3pm and usually on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday* – or by appointment, phone 09 267 1457. If you are planning to make a special visit to see our library and its resources, we recommend you call the visitor centre on the day of your visit to check it is open.

*please note this is subject to our volunteers availability which may change at short notice. 

Please also note that we are a reference, rather than a borrowing, library.

We also have a reading room full of the latest home and gardening magazines for your reading pleasure. The reading room is open daily!

The comprehensive selection of magazines and journals includes local titles such as the New Zealand Gardener and overseas titles such as The Plantsman from the UK. The library holds gardening magazines, reference journals and books on a wide range of topics including: 

  • Landscape design
  • Native plants
  • Plant care
  • Herbs and edibles
  • Perennials
  • Trees and shrubs
  • Bulbs
  • Pests and diseases
  • Garden history

All books, magazines and articles from the journals are catalogued and available to search via the Auckland libraries database.

The library opened in 1992, funded by the Friends of the Auckland Botanic Gardens. The library's information and resources assist Garden's staff in the development of the plant collections. The 2013 foyer renovation was funded by the Friends of the Auckland Botanic Gardens.

Library foyer